


Some Miracles Take Time

by Quiet_crash



Series: Idols of Alagaesia [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Dragon Riders, Dragon!Chanyeol, Dragon!Jongdae, Gen, Magic, Rider!Baekhyun, Rider!Minseok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-28 03:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10823016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quiet_crash/pseuds/Quiet_crash
Summary: Minseok has been a trainee for a long time.





	Some Miracles Take Time

**Author's Note:**

> A little dictionary for those who are not familiar with Eragon:  
> aiedail - the North Star  
> -elda - an honorific  
> eldunari - a dragon's "heart of hearts" where its consciousness exists after its body dies  
> gedwey ignasia - a shining palm (it's a mark)  
> -finirael - what a young, promising male student can be called
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The egg chambers are quiet.

 

They are always quiet because their occupants don't tend to make much noise. But one is especially silent. It's been a home for this particular egg for a very long time. So long that people stopped coming, convinced the dragon within was never going to hatch. And so the egg lays on its cushion, not gathering dust only thanks to those that periodically check up on all the unborn babies.

 

It is a beautiful egg. Midnight blue with lighter veins all over, glittering with a multitude of amazing colours when the light hits the shell. The dragon within will be unspeakably beautiful.

 

But no one is trying to bond with it anymore. The trainees don't feel like wasting their time on an unresponsive egg.

 

And so the baby dragon inside it sleeps, waiting patiently for its rightful Rider.

 

–

 

Minseok has been a trainee for a long time. He's been ready to become a rider for a while now but none of the dragon eggs chose to hatch for him. It halted his training for there was little more he could learn about being a Dragon Rider without a dragon of his own.

 

It made other adepts snicker at him behind his back as he wandered the training grounds, running errands for senior Riders and practising magic. He was not resentful towards the more fortunate trainees, nor towards the not hatched eggs that deemed him unfitting.

 

Nonetheless the situation was weighing on him. It wasn't easy to be the butt of many jokes, to hear his supposed friends whisper behind his back and pretend to be sympathetic in his presence.

 

He started to avoid people, instead spending his time in the quiet corners of the library or talking with the Eldunari. He especially like to do the latter. The ancient dragons existing in them offered a perspective unlike any other and their wisdom awed Minseok. They welcomed him readily, happy to answer his questions and listen to his tales. He was very grateful for that, sure that if it weren't for them he'd be lonely.

 

It was during a discussion with one of the Eldunari, an old dragon called Aiedail, about what determines a dragon's colour, that a thought occurred to him.

 

 _What about midnight blue?_ he asked curiously. _How does a colour like that come to be?_

 

 _Midnight blue?_ the old dragon asked. _Oh, I remember a midnight blue egg. My friends' child. It hadn't hatched during their life though many hoped to bond with it._

 

 _It still hasn't_ , Minseok informed him, astounded. _I had no idea it's been waiting so long! But why hasn't it hatched? It usually doesn't take so long. People started saying that it never will, that something is wrong with it_ , he added worriedly, suddenly concerned for the baby dragon that's been sleeping in its magnificent egg for almost a century now.

 

 _Nothing's wrong with it_ , the dragon responded amused. _It's just very particular and stubborn. It knows what it wants and it will not settle for anyone else._

 

 _But it must be… so lonely._ Something pricked Minseok in the heart at the thought of a tiny dragon waiting and waiting, all alone, for the right person to bond with.

 

 _We do not experience world in an entirely conscious way when in our eggs, hatchling_ , the old dragon assured him. _Nonetheless I'm sure the little one would be very happy with some attention._

 

Minseok's mind was made. _Then please forgive me, Aiedail-elda, but I think I have a visit to pay!_ The young elf bowed his head at the silvery Eldunari and departed, the dragon's laugh echoing in his head.

 

The egg chambers were quiet when he arrived as it was midday, because Minseok liked rising early, and most trainees were busy, well, training.

 

Minseok entered the building made, like most of the architecture on Vroengard and in elf dwellings, of one tree that magic encouraged to grow into walls, eventually forming a whole house. Minseok's been here many times so he knew the way pretty well. If he remembered correctly, the midnight blue egg was in a chamber near the back of the complex.

 

His gait slowed from his earlier run to a slow stroll as he walked through the halls, passing egg after egg, all colourful and magnificent. He felt an overwhelming awe as he thought about the baby dragons waiting to hatch.

 

The thought made him quicken his steps. After all there was one dragon that's already been waiting for a long time. He didn't think he'd be its rider but it wouldn't do to keep it waiting for simple company.

 

Finally he arrived at his destination and his gaze fell on the quietly resting egg in the centre of the little chamber. The magnificent shell took his breath away.

 

“You're so beautiful!” he whispered to its occupant. “So, so beautiful and so very alone. It's an awful feeling, the sense of being alone. I know it, a little, and I couldn't stand the thought of you going through it too. So I decided to come visit!”

 

Minseok tentatively sat down in front of the pillow. “I might not be the most interesting person, sorry about that!” he said sheepishly. “But I figured, better me than no one at all, right?”

 

The egg, predictably, stayed silent. Undeterred, Minseok continued.

 

“Right! So, how have you been? Probably awfully bored!”

 

He sat, talking to the egg for a few hours until Junmyeon called him away for an errand.

 

After that Minseok's daily schedule changed to involve visits to the egg. Sometimes he talked to it, sometimes he just sat there reading quietly. He liked those visits. The little dragon slept peacefully in its egg and though it offered no responses, it also didn't demand anything from him. No intelligent conversation, no answers, nothing. With it Minseok could babble about anything and everything, or say nothing at all and it took the pressure right off his shoulders. He also grew to love the tiny occupant of the egg. He couldn't see it moving inside it's beautiful egg but he knew it was there and he liked to imagine its tiny self, yawning at him when he went off on his more passionate rants. It made him laugh.

 

About a week into his new schedule he bumped into one of the trainees in his age on his way to sit with the egg. Asked where he was going, he explained and was met with a sneer.

 

“You're sitting with a faulty egg? Seriously? Are you that desperate?”

 

Barely keeping his tone polite but not bothering to hide the bite in his words, Minseok got rid of the trainee and marched right to the egg, immediately starting to rant at it, beginning in the middle of his tirade because if he wasn't going to be really heard then he didn't have to make any sense.

 

“I hate those guys so much! Ah! Idiots and assholes, all of them! He called you faulty! You! How dare he! No wonder you've been waiting for so long if you only had guys like him to choose from! I mean! The disrespect!” Minseok fumed. “And I'm not _desperate_ for a dragon, okay, that's definitely _not_ why I've been visiting you. Please know that! It's just that, I don't have a dragon and it's making me a little lonely, I guess. I just didn't want you to feel like that too! It's not nice when people talk about you behind your back… And you're so beautiful and innocent, you don't deserve that!”

 

After those words Minseok took a deep breath trying to calm himself down but it didn't help any. “Ah, I'm so sorry, I'm afraid I won't be any good for company today.” He hesitated and then ran his fingers over the cool surface of the egg in a delicate imitation of an affectionate pat. “I think I'm just going to come back tomorrow. I need to burn this anger off with some sword-fighting practise. I _hope_ I'll run into one of them at the arena, I'd love to _destroy them,_ ” he grumbled. Then what he said caught up to him and he tried to backtrack “Ah, I mean, uh, nevermind. Anyways, see you tomorrow, darling one!”

 

And that was the end of the visit. The next day though he came extra early, to make up for it, settled himself in his usual spot and cheerfully greeted the egg.

 

“Hi, darling one! I'm sorry for storming out like that yesterday! But hey, I did get to, um, have a pretty satisfying sparring in the arena so that was awesome. Can I tell you about it? I'm going to tell you about it.” And so he launched into a vivid recount of his sparring victory when suddenly there was a thud.

 

The egg rolled off it's pillow.

 

Minseok's breath caught in his throat, story forgotten.

 

“Darling one?” he said, voice thready with shock. The egg wobbled violently, rolling a little further on the floor. Minseok jumped to his feet, staring at it in awe. It looked like it was…

 

_hatching!_

 

Meanwhile the egg gave two more serious wobbles and then a crack rang out, part of the shell rising and falling off to the floor. Minseok covered his mouth with his hands, hardly daring to breathe as, at long last, the midnight-blue hatchling _exploded_ out of its egg, immediately letting out a squeak as it stumbled over the remnants of its long-term home.

 

Then it sneezed and squeaked _again_ and Minseok just about died of gods-how-cute. He definitely did gasp in awe and the baby's dark eyes immediately zeroed in on him.

 

Minseok stopped breathing again. This was bad for his heart.

 

The dragon looked at him for five second that felt like five hours to the shocked elf, and then marched (waddled) right up to him, looking up at him and squeaking.

 

(The squeaking was going to be his undoing.)

 

Minseok performed a controlled (mostly) fall to his knees and his heart stopped as he tentatively held out one hand. Will he be accepted? Will the dragon bond with him? It waited so long, and now it was here! Did it hatch for, dear gods, did it hatch for _him_?

 

The dragon squeaked at him again and decidedly pushed its tiny head into Minseok's palm.

 

Minseok's world exploded in a shower of scorching fire and blinding light, a single high note vibrating in his ears. Then all went black.

 

He woke up gasping, his heart pounding and palm burning with the silvery brand of gedwey ignasia blooming on his skin. Then, it finally happened.

 

He jumped as his mind was touched by a little tendril of foreign consciousness that radiated curiosity and concern towards him. The tiny hatchling huffed and opened its membranous wings awkwardly, clearly surprised with their sudden movement. The contact faded but instead Minseok found himself climbed on by the newborn dragon. It made it up into his lap and flopped there for a second, its chest vibrating in a contented purr, then started squirming again. The foreign consciousness touched his mind again and this time it screamed hunger.

 

That jolted Minseok right out of his awed stupor and he gathered the hatchling into his arms as he attempted to stand. He felt a little unsteady but ultimately his legs managed to hold his and his dragon's ( _his dragon's!!!_ ) weight and he stumbled out of the chamber.

 

“Teyan-elda!” he called out weakly. The guardian of the eggs appeared quickly and her jaw dropped as she saw the midnight-blue dragon in Minseok's arms, yawning as wide as his little jaw allowed.

 

“Is that-?” she stammered.

 

“It hatched! It's hatched!” Minseok gasped. “But! Hungry…!” Complicated sentences of more than two words were beyond him in that moment.

 

The elder Rider grinned at him sunnily and beckoned him to come with her. “We'll find some food for this little one, don't worry, Minseok-finirael. Come, lets sit you down. I have everything you'll need.”

 

He followed her like a lost duckling right into her home and sat at the table as she instructed, his dragon still cradled in his arms. It seemed perfectly content to stay there, squeaking occasionally and radiating curiosity. Experimentally, Minseok delicately scratched the scales under its jaw and it purred again, melting into a glittering puddle.

 

Teyan presented him with some chopped up tender meat and instructed him to mind his fingers. He soon understood the value of that warning as the baby dragon hardly looked what it chewed on as long as it satiated its hunger.

 

He chuckled at himself when he realized that a dopey smile bloomed on his face as a tiny dragon devoured fresh meat in his lap.

 

“It's one beautiful hatchling, Minseok-finirael. Congratulations. I know you've been waiting for a long time to meet your dragon. This little guy too, waited many years for you to come. It is a very happy day.” She smiled at him. “Take a moment for yourself, I'll let Leader Junmyeon know that his best trainee is ready to become a true Dragon Rider!”

 

Minseok's heart sung in happiness and he sniffed, thanking her profusely. She waved him off. “If you have any questions, Elena is just outside, don't be afraid to ask her. Although I think you won't need much at this point. This early the hatchling falls asleep quickly after all the excitement of leaving its egg and bonding with their rider.” Elena was Teyan's dragon and Minseok was on rather friendly terms with them both.

 

Minseok looked down at the precious burden in his lap. The dragon sniffed around to make sure all meat was gone and then yawned.

 

His heart melted.

 

“Yeah,” the senior Rider laughed at the pair of them, “I'll be off. Stay as long as you need!”

 

Minseok nodded at her respectfully and then turned to the dragon. His dragon. He still barely dared to believe it. After all this time! And The Egg hatched for him, and out of it came the most beautiful, the most _adorable_ hatchling there ever was. He admired the way the sun made the dark scales glitter just like the egg's shell had, with a multitude of different colours that changed constantly with every breath that the baby dragon took.

 

He spent almost an hour sitting there and staring dumbly as his dragon slept. Little by little his mind cleared as the shock receded to make place for pure happiness. It flooded him in a huge wave and he couldn't stop himself from kissing the little scaly head as the dragon purred in his sleep, most likely affected by what its rider was feeling through their bond.

 

Finally, the young elf stood carefully and decided to head home. Feeling a little calmer he realized that as soon as the adrenaline finished coursing through his body he will crash and he'd prefer to do that in his own bed.

 

He made his way outside, respectfully greeted Elena and thanked her for her congratulations and made his way home, praying he wouldn't run into anyone because he really didn't feel like he'd be able to make any kind of conversation right then.

 

It seemed like the gods have decided to bless him on this day because he managed to stumble home without seeing a single person. He immediately made his way to the bed where he put the hatchling down, internally cooing as it curled itself into a little ball, and then laid down himself.

 

In less than five minutes, he was asleep.

 

–

 

 _What are you thinking of, Minseokkie?_ Jongdae's melodious voice jarred Minseok out of his memory, one dark eye observing him keenly. He grinned, fitting himself more comfortably against his dragon's side. _I was remembering the day you hatched_ , he said fondly, scratching the scales underneath Jongdae's jaw, causing him to rumble happily. _You were so adorable back then, I thought I wouldn't survive it when you started squeaking and climbing all over me. The cutest, prettiest hatchling the world has ever seen!_

 

Jongdae snorted. _I bet I became less cute when people started to come to you with complaints about the mischief I caused._

 

 _Oh, you were still cute._ Minseok assured him. _Just a lot more aggravating_. _Especially after we befriended Baekhyun and Chanyeol_.

 

–

 

Minseok now had a gorgeous, fantastic dragon who grew like the most beautiful weed in the world, absorbed knowledge like a sponge and developed a mischievous attitude that Minseok denied being the source of (even though he was. he just, had a reputation to uphold). Anyway, he was incredibly, deliriously happy and loved Jongdae with all his heart, a sentiment the dragon readily returned, but it was apparent that some people just wouldn't give him a break.

 

So he bonded with a dragon. They now had a problem with the dragon in question. Or rather, they questioned Minseok's suitability for the dragon in question.

 

Minseok ignored them because he has been reliably informed, by the elder Dragon Riders and their dragons and the dragons in Eldunaris, that there's no such thing as a mistake when it comes to bonding. When a dragon chooses, it's the perfect match. Minseok knew this and Jongdae himself caused a few commotions as he hissed viciously at those who dared to question his choice of a rider. (There were also multiple instances of those same people having minor unfortunate accidents. Things happen. Minseok tried to rein in Jongdae's vicious streak but though happy to oblige him in everything else, when it came to Minseok's safety and happiness the dragon became selectively deaf.)

 

Nonetheless Minseok's life changed entirely but at the same time almost not at all. He still spent a lot of his time reading, still visited the Eldunari (he especially brought Jongdae to Aiedail and the old dragon was incredibly happy to meet his friends' brood) and still had virtually no friends.

 

That changed one day when his master sent him off to meditate in a clearing whence he stumbled upon a younger boy cuddling with a gorgeous dragon whose scales resembled fire, ranging in colour from dark gold to intense red.

 

“Aish, Yeollie,” the boy was murmuring, “I thought when a dragon hatched for me the bullying would stop but instead I still get shit for my lack of muscles and you get shit for being clumsy. Honestly!” The boy huffed and Minseok had to smile at his feisty spirit. It certainly matched his dragon's looks. “I don't care about what they say about me (although they're definitely going to regret it!) but they're clearly stupid if they can't recognize that you're only clumsy because you're growing to be the biggest, baddest dragon around!” the boy exclaimed. The dragon – Yeol? - chirped at him cutely. “You could stand to be a little more fierce, you know?” the boy murmured but it was clear that he adored his partner entirely.

 

Minseok cleared his throat, stepping out from between the trees.

 

“Hi-” he started but a sudden spell thrown at him made him stop and throw up a shield. “I'm not an enemy! No attacking needed!”

 

Thank gods Jongdae was away, training to extend his fire-breathing time, or else the peaceful clearing would already have become a bloodbath.

 

The boy jumped to his feet and hurried over, his dragon awkwardly strutting behind him. “Oh my, I'm so sorry, it's just, instinct, you know? I didn't get you, did I? I'm Baekhyun, by the way, and this is Chanyeol! What's your name?”

 

Minseok blinked at the barrage of words thrown at him. “Uh, no, I'm fine, it's all good. Don't worry about it. I'm Minseok. Um, my master told me to come here meditate but the I heard you talking about bullies… Sorry for eavesdropping.” he added sheepishly.

 

Baekhyun waved a hand dismissively. “It's okay. I mean unless you're going to be mean too but you don't look like someone that's mean to people. Or dragons. You aren't, are you?”

“I'm not?”

 

“Awesome. Do you have a dragon?” Baekhyun asked setting back on the ground, his eyes sparkling with innocent curiosity and a rectangular smile brightening his face.

 

Minseok found himself smiling back. “Yes, he's off working on his firebreathing right now.”

 

“Ooh, so you've been a Rider for over a year now? Amazing! Chanyeol hatched two weeks ago.”

 

“Two weeks ago?!” Minseok exclaimed in wonder. “I thought he's at least a month and a half old with how big he is!”

 

Baekhyun grinned proudly. “He is, isn't he? He's going to be the biggest, fiercest dragon Algaesia has ever seen!”

 

Chanyeol rumbled happily but then a bug caught his attention and he wandered off after it causing Baekhyun to roll his eyes fondly. “As soon as he stops getting distracted with everything that moves.”

 

Minseok laughed.

 

He didn't get to meditate that day but his master forgave him because he came back unusually happy proclaiming to have made a friend.

 

That was the first and only time when Baekhyun's name got him out of trouble rather than getting him into it. The boy had an indomitable spirit and a mischievous streak mile wide with none of Minseok's ability to hold it back. He and Jongdae bonded over their partners getting bullied (after Jongdae forgave him for his knee-jerk spell-hurling at Minseok) and suddenly the number of unfortunate accidents tripled. Minseok gave up on prevention and instead strove for damage control.

 

Lets just say his skill in diplomacy became admirable and leave it at that.

 

–

 

 _I became a nightmare after we befriended Baekhyun and Chanyeol!_ Jongdae laughed, plumes of smoke arising from his nose. _Also, I resent being called cute after I started breathing fire. Come on. I have become a fearsome dragon. Nothing cute about me!_

 

 _Oh, I don't know,_ Minseok teased him. _I, for one, think that the way you watch over the eggs and play with the younger dragons is utterly cute._

 

 _I'm teaching them!_ Jongdae defended himself indignantly. _Stop calling me cute or I'll drink all of your mead. I know where you stashed it!_

 

 _You wouldn't dare!_ Minseok gasped feigning outrage.

 

 _Try me!_ came the playful answer. Minseok narrowed his eyes. _Well then I'm sure you will find someone to massage your favourite spots after flying practise._

 

Jongdae gasped at that. _Minseokkie! You would desert me in my time of need like that? Me, your beloved dragon?_ he whined in distress.

 

Minseok snorted, amused. _Would I?_

 

 _Nooo you wouldn't! You love me too much to do that!_ Jongdae wheedled. Minseok laughed. _What a fearsome dragon you are, yes, I can definitely see it._

 

 _You are the worst_. Jondgae sulked, defeated. Minseok rubbed his scales again apologizing for teasing him wordlessly and immediately receiving forgiveness. Jongdae curled tighter around him as the campfire went out and covered him with his wing, preparing to sleep.

 

Minseok stroked the delicate membrane and followed him into rest.


End file.
